No, I’m not teaching on reproduction. I’ll let others handle that.
But I’ve been mulling over something a pastor said about pastoral ministry:
We teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are.
I’m pretty confident that I can do the first part. There are some subjects about which I know a fair amount — the Gospel of Mark, the letters of Paul, and how to prepare and deliver a eulogy, for example — and so I can teach on those things.
But reproducing who I am? I’m not as sure about that one . . . or even if it’s desirable.
I suppose I hope that the congregation will become passionate about the things I’m passionate about . . . cultivating a small church feel in a large church body, becoming a thoroughly ‘full color’ congregation, and, in this season of the church’s life, the rescue of slaves from bondage at the hands of oppressors.
If those are reproducible (is that even a word?), then I’m on board.
In the meantime, I’m going to keep pondering what that pastor said about pastoral leadership:
We teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are.
Do you think that’s true? Or not?